BEREA, Ohio – The recent Grindstone Award banquet also included awards to local employees who have demonstrated exceptional courtesy and dedication on the job.
Workers were nominated by co-workers, customers and community members.
Winners included Fred Abraham, with the dietary department at Generations Senior Living. Abraham is in charge of food service at both the Berea and Strongsville facilities.
He personally creates and prepares new meals for all private family dining and tours, caters professional events and helps with food donations to local organizations.
Julie DiFrancesco is a teacher at Berea-Midpark High School. She created the Titans Academy, which provides intervention and guidance to at-risk students.
She assembled a group of professionals to coach students. For the 2021-22 school year, 82 students were able to graduate thanks to this program.
Jo-Anne Paciotti is a cashier at Giant Eagle in Berea. Her nomination states that she is very friendly, positive and upbeat. She chats and gets to know her customers.
Allen Scott is a firefighter/EMT with the Berea Fire Department. A Coast Guard veteran, he takes part in the city’s recognition of military veterans and memorial services each year.
He was the first member of the department to perform a needle decompression on a patient who suffered trauma in a car accident. His team won an award from MetroHealth Medical Center.
Katie Street teaches the Broadcasting & Video Production class at Berea-Midpark High School and Polaris Career Center. She was instrumental in creating safety videos for Polaris and for the school district. She worked with students after school hours to storyboard, act, film and edit videos.
The Chamber presented the Rising Star Award to Phil and Lisa Palmison of Palm Wellness LLC, a mental health counseling and wellness practice.
The Legacy Award was given to Southwest General Health Center. President and CEO Bill Young accepted the award for the hospital, which was named to the 2022 Top Workplaces USA list.
New this year was the Future Leader Award, presented to college and high school students who have volunteered in the community. Winners were Lily Henry, a junior at Ohio University; Rose and Thomas Henry, juniors at Berea-Midpark High School; and Andy Scott, a sophomore at St. Edward High School.
Lily Henry is an altar server, lector and teacher in the parish faith formation classes. At BMHS, she was a Camp Mi-Bro-Be counselor, a member of student council and counselor at the North End Foundation’s Science Camp.
Rose Henry is a Girl Scout and volunteers with Caring Cubs. She also volunteers with the Berea Community Learning Farm and with leaf raking and Christmas caroling for seniors.
Thomas Henry also volunteers with Caring Cubs, as a server at church and at Vacation Bible School. He is a Boy Scout and has helped to place flags on veterans graves for Memorial Day.
Andy Scott is involved with his school’s stage crew and Yearbook Club. He creates graphics and videos that accompany the Masses and volunteers with Labre to donate food to the homeless. He also helps the chamber with its website.
